Typhoon Betty affects more than 11,000 persons – NDRRMC

KEEPING TRACK A state weather bureau forecaster briefs reporters on the track of Typhoon “Betty” on Monday morning. —DOST-PAGASA PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines —  Over 11,000 people have been impacted by Typhoon “Betty” (international name: “Mawar”), according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

Those affected are 11,264 individuals or 2,859 families from 55 barangays within Regions 2 (Cagayan Valley), 3 (Central Luzon), 6 (Western Visayas), 7 (Central Visayas), and Mimaropa (Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan).

Within these areas, 5,488 residents were preemptively evacuated to 21 centers, while 3,864 were displaced.

Betty continues to move slowly over the waters east of Batanes.

Pagasa reported it was last spotted 315 kilometers east of Basco.

It is advancing west-northwestward at 10 kilometers per hour (kph), packing sustained winds of 150 kph and gusts of up to 185 kph.

Due to the typhoon threats, NDRRMC said 254 cities and municipalities suspended classes, while work in about 80 offices was suspended.

Meanwhile, operations in 47 seaports were affected while 121 flights — 104 domestic, 17 international – were disrupted.

So far, no casualties or agricultural or infrastructural damage have been reported.

Meanwhile, P1,897,764 assistance was provided to local governments in calamity areas.

NDRRMC said 1,679 teams from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) are on standby for search, rescue, and retrieval operations.

It also said the Office of the Civil Defense and the Department of Social Welfare and Development have P256 million Quick Response Fund (QRF) for 2023 and P2.2 billion worth of stockpile and standby funds.

These allocations will be used to help communities ravaged by the typhoon.

Aside from QRF, OCD’s central and regional offices have prepared P108 million worth of non-food items for distribution to the victims.

RELATED STORIES:

NDRRMC: Emergency response protocols activated amid Super Typhoon Betty

Betty maintains strength; wind signals still raised in 9 Northern Luzon provinces

APL/abc